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Summary: One of the Greatest Books on Israel Ever Written
Review: "O Jerusalem" is a classic. By focusing on one narrow yet vitally important aspect of the Arab-Jewish conflict surrounding the birth of Israel between WWII and 1948, the authors bring to life all the characters, good bad and neutral who played a role in the saga of Jerusalem. As readers of the book will discover, prior to 1948, Jerusalem was a city with a mixed Jewish-Arab population. The Arabs and Jews lived in relative harmony, sometimes in mixed neighborhoods. Under British rule, all religious groups had access to their own holy sights. The authors demonstrate how villaims like Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, a rabid anti-semite who spent WWII hiding from the British in Berlin, brought ruin to the Arabs of Jerusalem. Indeed, the Arabs come across as the ultimate victims, which they were. Their victimizers were not the Jews, however, but their fellow Arabs. Ultimately, war comes in 1948 and the Jews are victorious in establishing the state of Israel. Many Arab residents of Jerusalem are forced from their homes either by the Israeli Defense Force, fellow Arabs or their own fears. Most wind up in the part of the city that has come to be known as "East Jerusalem". The old city, including the Jewish Quarter and the Western Wall is captured by Jordan and ALL Jews are expelled. The book describes in great detail, the tragic consequences of this conflict which was not wanted by the Jews, not wanted by their Arab neighbors but spurred on by interlopers like the Mufti, the British and many bad players fromt he Arab world like King Abdullah. It is a fair analysis. It does not make the Jews out to be saints nor does it portray all the Arabs as blood thirsty monsters. It lays blame where it belongs. Those pre-disposed to a revisionist view of Israel's birth will not appreciate this book because its fair analysis does not meet with revisionist ideology. But for anyone who wants to learn the truth about this conflict, this book is a must read.
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Summary: A PERFECT PAIRING OF VOICE AND NARRATIVE
Review: A perfect pairing of voice and narrative is found in this dramatic recounting of the 1948 battle between the Arabs and the Jews for possession of the city of Jerusalem. It is the story of the birth of Israel as meticulously researched by the authors. History comes to vivid life as we hear of the years between World War II and the creation of an independent state - Israel. We are reminded that this area was sacred to both sides, and we hear Ben Gurion and Golda Meir as well as Arab chiefs and soldiers who felt just as passionately that their cause was just. Theodore Bikel, probably best remembered for his long running role as Tevya in "Fiddler On The Roof" offers an incomparable reading. Vienna born Bikel was 13-years-old when his family moved to Palestine. An inquisitive and intelligent young man he was to master Hebrew, Yiddish, German, and English. Early on he joined the Habimah Theatre, and later was a co-founder of the Israeli Chamber Theatre. He became interested in folk music and the guitar at approximately the same time that he studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. All of this study and work was prelude to a multi faceted career - as musician, actor, and author. His awards are many, including an Emmy. Bikel's reading of "O Jerusalem!" merits another statue on his mantel. - Gail Cooke
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Summary: Detailed and fascinating history
Review: Collins and Lapierre focus their book, O Jerusalem on one city in the years between World War II and the creation of the independent state of Israel, but, the story itself spans centuries and continents. This is a book about courage, terrorism, heroism, deprivation, politics, and, ultimately, war. Concentrating their narrative on material gleaned from thousands of interviews, the authors intersperse personal histories-heroic, tragic, and sometimes even humorous-with public history to create an illuminating epic, part folk, part academic. Their emphasis on ordinary people reacting in ordinary ways to extraordinary events encourages the reader to empathize with characters on both sides of what was, and continues to be, a complex stuggle. Collins and Lapierre allow the story to expand as they trace the roots of the conflict back into Biblical history and as the participants travel the post-WWII world, seeking weapons, political support and military solutions. However, no matter how far afield the story wanders, the authors always bring it back to its center, Jerusalem. More than fifty years after the central events of this story, it is interesting and instructive for historians, amateur and professional, to review who was allied with whom in the Middle East of the 1940's and who provided the training, weapons, and support to which of the participants in the struggle. ... Although it does not provide the complete answer, it is an excellent place to begin the search.
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Summary: Wonderful telling of a powerful story
Review: Collins and Lapierre make an important and much needed contribution to a field often beset by propaganda masquerading as scholarship. In the place of such works of half-truth, these authors offer a crisply written and carefully researched history of Jerusalem, the eternal city. Instead of taking sides, as is so often the tendency when dealing with this subject, Collins and Lapierre give considerable attention and equal weight to all sides. The authors interviewed literally thousands of people in order to understand people's emotional attachment to this often fought for city. Using this research they then tell the epic tale of the modern quest to control it. The book is both informative and riveting. Putting the facts before bias, they tell a story that needs to be told. I cannot recommend it enough.
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Summary: the truth behind the conflict
Review: For anyone interested in Arab-Isreali conflict or in the problems facing the modern middle east. THis brilliant study focuses on the battle for Jerusalum in 1948-49 between the Jews and the Arabs. it documents the many varied players, many of whom went on to greatness in the coming decades. It is also an unbiased account of the conflict and will lend much information to those that feel the Palistinians were 'Brutalized' by the powerful Isrealis and forced from their ancient land that they had occupied 'since time immemorial'. reads quickly, and is hard to put down.
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Summary: An unbiased telling of the establishment of Israel.
Review: I tend towards books in the historical novel genre, and count among my favorite authors Herman Wouk and Leon Uris. "O Jerusalem!" was recommended to me by someone familiar with my interest in the history of Israel, and I was hesitant to read it at first, thinking that I didn't want to slog through some dry account of such a worthwhile topic. Well, "dry" cannot be applied to any aspect of this book. Considering all of the college history books I've read, I think I can truly say that this is the best "true" historical telling of a topic that I've read...yet. The authors, in true journalistic form, did their research, and brought in those "human interest" aspects I so love in the historical novels. Their treatment of both the Arabs and the Jews is about as unbiased as one can be--I didn't see any blatant pandering to either side-- and felt that any (potentially) incindiary remarks were based wholly on historical track record (e.g., Arabs don't have a history--in Palestine--of cultivating the land, and this neglect is mentioned a few times). I recommend this book to anyone wishing for an in-depth (but not too technically deep!) look into the partition vote, the siege of Jerusalem, and the establishment of the State of Israel. ( As an aside: I'm not too interested in politics, but the political wrangling inherent in the entire partition process is quite fascinating. It goes to show that 'goodwill gestures' have about a million moving parts--not necessarily made out of love!).
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Summary: How Great the Struggle!
Review: No novel could have been more exciting than this detailed story of the birth of Israel and the early struggles. This book is written with all the suspense and excitement of a novel but what sets it aside is that it is all factual. The authors do an excellent job of researching those tense days back in 1948 with the realization that the fall of Israel was within a heartbeat the whole time until some last minute help from the US One of my favorite books!
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Summary: Biased and full of myths
Review: The authors portray the bloodthirsty Arab invaders as noble fighters and devote a disproportional amount of writing to the alleged massacre at Deir Yassin. They make the libelous claim that Jews raped Arab women, looted, mutilated, and executed civilians. Even the Arabs themselves admitted that the "massacre" didn't take place and that Arab propaganda made up the atrocity and rape stories in order to whip up the Arabs into a murderous anti-Jewish frenzy.
Stay away from this biased and mythological account. It is anti-Israeli fiction, not a serious historic account.
Rating:
Summary: Biased and full of myths
Review: The authors portray the bloodthirsty Arab invaders as noble fighters and devote a disproportional amount of writing to the alleged massacre at Deir Yassin. They make the libelous claim that Jews raped Arab women, looted, mutilated, and executed civilians. Even the Arabs themselves admitted that the "massacre" didn't take place and that Arab propaganda made up the atrocity and rape stories in order to whip up the Arabs into a murderous anti-Jewish frenzy.
Stay away from this biased and mythological account. It is anti-Israeli fiction, not a serious historic account.
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Summary: Keeping balance on a critical subject.
Review: The subject of this book arise passions all around the world: the birth of the State of Israel in 1948. Since then controversy, war and a seeming endless conflict between Jews and Arabs rage unquenched.
Any text approaching these events will be immediately scrutinized and criticized by confronting parties.
The authors are not rookies; they have a well earned reputation thru their previous book "Is Paris Burning?" (1965). They apply the technique of interviewing key witness, ranging from public figures to almost unknown particulars. All of them have their saying and express their viewpoints unrestricted.
Collins and Lapierre take this huge mass of information to produce a coherent, ordered, dynamic and griping story. At the same time they managed to keep the balance without avoiding sore spots.
This is an informative book commendable for anyone who is interested in Near East history. You may start from here and proceed afterwards with more partisan essays, giving them credit as it suits to your particular beliefs.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
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